Written by Connor Regan Writer Twitter/X: @ConnorReganIT Photo by The Irish Tribune Notre Dame and NBC-Universal have just renewed their media rights contract through 2029. This marks the 7th deal between the two, extending the most unique exclusive media partnership in all of collegiate sports to 39 years. Historically, each agreement has centered around the rights to broadcast Fighting Irish home games, but this new deal will expand the relationship in a completely unique way. Outgoing athletic director Jack Swarbrick confirmed that beginning with the 2024 season, Notre Dame football and NBC's " Peacock " streaming service will produce an annual "season-long documentary, their own version of (HBO's hit series) 'Hard Knocks' over the coming years, and have their own tile/channel on Peacock" per Fox Sports' Bryan Fischer . Swarbrick reported the show would debut in 2024, but it's currently unclear when it will specifically premiere. As of right now, there are very few specifics regarding this "Hard Knocks" style show, but there's plenty to speculate on.  "Irish Knocks" Fans might remember the Showtime produced "A Season With Notre Dame Football," which premiered in 2015. It chronicled the Irish season from start to finish and, like "Hard Knocks," it gave a more intimate view of players' lives on campus, injury struggles, pep rallies, season-long narratives, and team camaraderie. Each game was shot from unique perspectives, complete with footage from the sidelines and in-game conversations between coaching staff and players. Alongside the games, the show closely followed practices and team meetings, position battles, and evolving player relationships. It was a deeper look into the program few typically see, and served as a collegiate version of the in-season "Hard Knocks" shows. There will likely be several parallels between the Showtime series and the coming Peacock production, but will now be in the hands of a longtime trusted partner in NBC. The new show will likely follow a similar approach to its Showtime predecessor, giving the audience a look into the life of a college football player, but unlike before, the landscape has completely changed, and the dynamics of college football are becoming more and more like that of the NFL, making the transition to a "Hard Knocks" style show that much easier. Hard Knocks is known for its authentic and raw look at life in the NFL, complete with the ugly and sometimes sad parts of the game that players and coaches alike face each season. This will be Notre Dame's attempt to provide a similar level of real-life access, but with more of a personal touch than last time. Photo by the University of Notre Dame Media/Athletics Irish Access Duke Video Providing further inspiration, the "Irish Access" video put out by the Notre Dame social media team following the Duke matchup was one of the most compelling pieces of sports media to come out of Notre Dame in years. Complete with the coach's comms, it was dynamic and gripping from start to finish. It began in the coach's box, communicating down to the field, a narrator setting the scene, the music conveying the intensity of the moment, complete with field-level footage chronicling the game-winning final drive. Sam Hartman scrambles for a game-saving 1st down with the coach's box erupting through the mics, ultimately leading to Estime's game-winning touchdown. We get an inside look at the decision-making before going for 2 points and the pivotal catch by Rico Flores Jr. to convert. If the new Peacock exclusive can produce something in this vein, replicate a similar feeling to cover each game while pairing that with the intimate "day in the life of" coverage seen in the Showtime series, pre-game preparations, and post-game comedowns, this show can take both Notre Dame and college football media coverage to a whole new level. For Notre Dame, the continued partnership with NBC will ensure their project oversight, guiding the show to act as a promotion and advertisement for the University while making sure it reflects positively on its players and the University as a whole. This oversight and collaboration should reduce the possibility of affecting the athletes' performance and act as a conflict reduction measure. Despite a somewhat sanitized product, we may get the chance to see how the lives of college players have changed in the face of things like NIL, the transfer portal, and the brand-new 12-team CFP format.  Questions Going Forward With little confirmed information, there are a few questions to be answered: Will the show only include the preseason/spring game/training camp?  Will the show only include the regular season? Will the show continue through the later parts of the season in years the Irish make the CFP? Will the show only focus on NBC broadcasted home games? How many episodes will each season have? What will the show provide the audience that they can't get from player podcasts, vlogs, or the current "Irish Insider" videos? If the Irish make the CFP and proceed deep into it, we could conceivably see 20-ish weeks of all-access Notre Dame coverage in a way we never have before. This will unlock countless sponsorship and NIL opportunities, increased recruitment coverage and media footprint, and an exclusive media platform no other college football program can provide their players, all coming on a premium streaming service. Yes, the paywall will dissuade some viewers, but premium content comes at premium prices, and soon, other top-tier college football programs will follow the Irish's game-changing media moves. The value Peacock and Notre Dame's content provides will soon be too much for fans to ignore. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by Phil Kowalis  ⏐ Writer  ⏐ X/Twitter:@PhilKowalisIT Photo by: Duke Athletics Marcus Freeman has delved into the transfer portal for the second consecutive year in search of a quarterback. One year ago, Freeman plucked Sam Hartman out of the portal to give experience and added depth to a very thin Notre Dame quarterback room. Hartman then beat out Tyler Buchner and Steve Angeli to earn the starting job for the 2023 season. Hartman had an up and down season, completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 2,689 yards and throwing 24 touchdowns while being intercepted 8 times. This year, Freeman has set his sights on acquiring former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard from the portal. Leonard would join Steve Angeli, Kenny Minchey and incoming freshman C.J. Carr in the Irish quarterback room. Leonard was hampered by injury this season and appeared in only 7 games throwing for 1,102 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions, Leonard also rushed for 352 yards and four touchdowns on 58 carries, good for a 6.1 yard-per-carry average. Should Leonard choose the Irish, he would become the leader in the battle for the quarterback job heading into the 2024 season. Let's take a look at what Leonard could bring to the Notre Dame offense next season. Leonard would give Freeman and Irish offensive coordinator Gerad Parker a dynamic weapon at the quarterback position. Looking back at Leonard's last full injury free season in 2022, Leonard was able to pass for 2,967 yards, while tossing 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. While those numbers look very similar to what Hartman provided the Irish offense this season, the thing that Leonard would bring to the Irish offense that Hartman didn't is that Leonard is a serious threat in the run game. In addition to his passing stats, Leonard also added 699 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns on 124 carries good for an average of 5.6 yards-per-attempt. Having Leonard under center in 2024 would allow Freeman and Parker establish the power running offensive identity that they want, as Leonard would give Parker the option to add the quarterback power run to the heavy sets that Parker often wants to line up. The addition of Leonard would not just bring the threat of the quarterback power run to the Irish offense, but would also give Parker the option of implementing the read-option into the Irish offense, a staple for the program throughout the last decade. Adding Leonard's rushing threat to the stable of running backs the Irish will have in 2024 could give the Notre Dame offense the type of dominate rushing attack Irish fans haven't seen since the end of the Lou Holtz era in the mid-90's. While Leonard is Notre Dame's primary target in the transfer portal, his commitment to the Irish is anything but a lock. Leonard was on campus for a visit with the Notre Dame coaching staff last week, and while from all reports everything went very well, Leonard left campus without giving the Irish his commitment - at least publicly. Leonard has reportedly been an interest for the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Auburn Tigers. Ohio State is also looking to add a quarterback from the transfer portal after losing their 2023 starter to the portal last week, and Auburn's need for a quality option at quarterback is well known. The Buckeyes have been reported to be considering Leonard as a choice for the replacement of Kyle McCord, which has the possibility to come to fruition. If Leonard does eventually end up taking a visit to Ohio State, the Buckeyes could possibily turn the tables - although as it stands, this looks to be unlikely. It still does raise the question of what Freeman's plan B is if Leonard spurns the Irish for the Buckeyes, Tigers or another unknown suitor. If Steve Angeli is to start the matchup against the Beavers and plays well, does Freeman then scrap his plan of bringing in a quarterback from the portal, and head into spring practice with Angeli competing with Minchey and Carr in a three-man competition for the starting job in 2024? Unlikely. Marcus Freeman has been very open about wanting to bring in a fourth scholarship quarterback to provide added depth at the position and to compete for the starting quarterback spot. To this point, Freeman has placed all of his eggs in one basket, as it stands. Now it looks like it will be Leonard or bust, but there are other names available on the market that could possibly find their way to South Bend should Leonard decide to go elsewhere. The developing quarterback situation will provide Irish fans with something to keep their eyes on over the next few days - or even longer should this recruitment go the distance. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by Liam Farrell｜Senior Staff Writer｜Twitter/X: @LiamFarrell_IT Via The Irish Tribune As Notre Dame fans were left waiting for their bowl game on Selection Sunday, the ACC ultimately landed the Irish in El Paso, Texas, to face Oregon State in the Sun Bowl. With Notre Dame's 9-3 regular season record, the College Football Playoff and New Year's Six Bowls were out of the question. This landed the Irish in a multitude of possibillities from the Poptart Bowl to Duke's Mayo Bowl, but the Sun Bowl was a blantant sign of disrespect on many fronts. This lackluster bowl game has led many Irish players to already hit the transfer portal, or opt in for the NFL draft. With a low profile bowl game being the sole postseason game for Notre Dame, the Irish should see what they have in their younger talent. This would be a perfect test for Notre Dame quaterbacks, Steve Angeli and Kenny Minchey, to get productive in-game reps. Also key defensive figures such as Jaylen Sneed, Jaden Ausberry, and Drayk Bowen would benefit from meaningful minutes in this one. Let's see why Freeman should "Let the kids play." Angeli and Minchey While Sam Hartman hasn't made an official announcement about whether or not he is participating in the bowl game, I'd hope that the coaching staff strongly urged Hartman to opt-out and focus on his development toward the NFL. With Notre Dame not securing Riley Leonard quite yet in the transfer portal, the Irish are still without a game-experienced QB. This is why Steve Angeli should receive the starting nod in this one. Personally, after Hartman and the Irish celebrated Senior Day against Wake Forest, I thought Angeli should have started the regular season finale at Stanford. Nonetheless, this Sun Bowl game should be a good indicator about the talent that Notre Dame has in its QB room, or if the Irish need to intensify their puruit at a transfer QB. Both Offensive Tackles Besides quarterback, the offensive tackle position has become one of the biggest question marks going into the 2024 season for the Fighting Irish. Junior Right Tackle Blake Fisher announced on on Friday that he is foregoing his senior season and is entering the Draft. As for the Left Tackle position, it would be crazy if Joe Alt chose to return back to Notre Dame for his senior season considering he is a projected top-10 pick. With that being said, the Irish will be starting two completely new tackles in this bowl game, along with an inexperienced, but proven center in Aston Craig. Look for Aamil Wagner and Tosh Baker to be the ones starting at tackle for the Irish in this one. The Irish have also made it clear that they will be looking into the portal to potentially grab an experienced tackle after the news of Fisher became public. Linebackers While the entire Notre Dame defense is extremely old and filled with vetrans, the linebacker unit will be the most inexperienced in the 2024 season. With Marist Liufau opting for the NFL, JD Bertrand out of eligibility, and Jack Kiser not making a decision yet, the Notre Dame linebacker room will be fueled with young talent. Jaylen Sneed will be the biggest impact player next year for the Irish at the linebacker position along with contributions from Drayk Bowen and Jaden Ausberry. The Irish are also expected to sign recent 5 star recruit Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa out of St. John Bosco to help the linebacker core. The Sun Bowl game will be great to see these younger, faster, and more explosive linebackers get starting playing time against quality competition. Wrap-Up Do you want to see Sam Hartman and other Senior leaders play in the bowl game and potentially risk getting injuried as we saw with Jaylon Smith back in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl? Do you want to see what young talent Notre Dame has on their roster heading into the 2024 season? Which player do you want to see make the biggest impact in the Sun Bowl? Let me know below.

Written by Cade Harper  ⏐ Writer  ⏐ Instagram/X: @CadeHarperIT Photo by The Irish Tribune You love to see them come in and develop but you hate to watch them leave. Notre Dame's Wide Receiver position has taken a massive blow to begin the transfer portal portion of the "offseason", starting with the firing of former WR coach, Chansi Stuckey. Following Stuckey's departure from campus, five pass catchers for Notre Dame have entered the transfer portal: Chris Tyree, Tobias Merriweather, Braylon James, Rico Flores Jr, and Holden Staes. Now that the Irish are lacking at the Wide Receiver position, who is to blame? Coach Stuckey, playing time, wrongful development, who knows. What we do know is who to watch for when filling these voids for Notre Dame's upcoming 2024 season. Read on to look at the Irish's top targets at the Wide Receiver position in the transfer portal. Photo by Florida International Athletics Notre Dame filled their first void on Tuesday, December 5th earlier this week. Former Florida International WR and leading Wide Receiver in yards in all of Conference-USA, Kris Mitchell has committed to The University of Notre Dame. This was a perfect first addition considering the Irish needed a polished Wide Receiver, and Mitchell is just that. Mitchell recorded 64 catches for 1,118 yards with 7 touchdowns last season. His best game was against SEC opponent, Arkansas when the Panther's went on the road and Mitchell had a career game going for 157 yards with a touchdown for the cherry on top. After Week 1, he had at least 73 receiving yards in every game, a very reliable pickup for the Irish as Mitchell will make his case for the Irish's WR1 position on the depth chart. Mitchell was also ranked within the top 10 Wide Receiver's from the transfer portal by multiple college football analysts. Photo by Clemson Athletics Another top 10 Wide Receiver in the transfer portal is former Clemson wideout, Beaux Collins. Collins recently took a visit to campus on Wednesday, December 6th - Thursday, December 7th and we were informed he enjoyed it as he snapped photo's in front of Touchdown Jesus. Collins has one final year of eligibility left with 91 catches, 1,290 yards, and 11 touchdowns across his three seasons at Clemson. After adding Mitchell, it seems as if Coach Freeman is looking to add some veterans into the lineup of the young Wide Receiver class coming in 2024 - 2025. Collins would add some serious depth to this lineup and could be a dangerous player if he ends up choosing to play at Notre Dame. Photo by Washington State Athletics Washington State's leading receiver in yards and touchdowns last season has fallen into the portal and is also scheduled to visit the campus same days as former Duke Quarterback and Irish target, Riley Leonard and pictured above former Clemson Wide Receiver Beaux Collins. This particular stud would be Josh Kelly. Kelly currently holds offers from 7 other schools. In Kelly's career, he has recorded 148 catches, 2,228 yards, and 12 touchdowns. 923 yards with 8 touchdowns just last season, Kelly also runs a whopping 4.26 40 yard dash time so adding speed to this Wide Receiver position will be killer for the guys this season. I have a good gut feeling moving forward with Kelly. In Summary : Freeman is not rebuilding, I firmly believe along with many others he is reloading. These targets at Wide Receiver are no joke and I am more than excited to see what their decision will be. Until then, Coach Freeman will continue scouting and finding what suits best for his team.

Written by Connor Regan ｜Writer｜Twitter/X: @ConnorReganIT Photo via Wisonsin Athletics After parting ways with Chansi Stuckey and losing 4 wide receivers to the busier-than-ever transfer portal, head coach Marcus Freeman seems to have found his next wide receivers coach in relatively short order. Although nothing has been confirmed, reports point to current Wisconsin Badgers assistant head coach and wide receivers coach Mike Brown. Connor D'Aquila of The Irish Tribune reported Mike Brown as a potential option for the coaching vacancy days before any substantive rumors leaked. Brown was also considered for the position two years ago, before Chansi Stuckey was ultimately hired. If all goes to plan and Brown does indeed join the Irish, it's unclear when he would formally assume the role. It's plausible Brown will coach for Wisconsin in their bowl matchup against Brian Kelly's #13 LSU Tigers and only leave the team once their season has concluded. Let's examine what Mike Brown would bring to the Irish offensive coaching staff and the kind of situation he would inherit. Mike Brown's Timeline 2008-2011 - Brown had a solid collegiate career, playing all four years at Liberty University from 2008-2011, where he played both QB and WR. He finished his college career with 6,072 passing yards, 45 touchdown passes, 1,875 rushing yards, and 29 rushing touchdowns, earning him 2 Big South Offensive Player of The Year awards. 2012-2015 - Despite not being drafted, Brown went on to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he converted to wide receiver and posted 39 catches for 534 receiving yards and two touchdowns between 2012-2014. Brown was ultimately released by the Carolina Panthers in 2015, concluding his professional career. 2016 - Brown begins his coaching career at The University of Michigan as a graduate assistant. 2017 - Brown then moved to The University of Delaware as a graduate assistant. 2018 - Brown became the running backs coach at his alma mater, Liberty University. 2019-2022 - The University of Cincinnati In his biggest move yet, Brown took the wide receivers coaching position alongside head coach Luke Fickell at Cincinnati in 2019. During the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Brown worked alongside then defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Marcus Freeman. While at Cincinnati, Brown also worked alongside current Notre Dame quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugil. Guidugil was the quarterbacks coach in 2019 and was promoted to passing game coordinator in 2020. Once Guidugil was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022, Luke Fickell promoted Brown to passing game coordinator alongside his wide receivers coach role. In 2021, Brown joined the Bearcats on a trip to South Bend, where they upset the Irish 24-13 and ultimately secured their first-ever trip to the College Football Playoff. By the end of his 4 years with Cincinnati, the Bearcats won 42 games, and Brown sent 3 wide receivers to the NFL, 2nd round pick Alec Pierce in 2022, 3rd round pick Tre Tucker in 2023, and 4th round pick Tyler Scott in 2023. 2023 - The University of Wisconsin Brown followed Luke Fickell to Wisconsin and assumed the titles of assistant head coach and wide receivers coach. The Badgers started strong with a 5-2 record but finished the season with a disappointing 7-5 record. They currently await the LSU Tigers in the ReliaQuest Bowl on January 1st 2024. Wisconsin's passing offense was noticeably weak in 2023, using two different QBs and finishing 88th in the country at 207 passing yards per game, worse than Notre Dame's underwhelming 50th-ranked passing offense with 248 yards per game. The Badgers also posted a woeful passing efficiency of 113.98, which ranked 115 of 130 teams. What Mike Brown Stands To Inherit As of this moment, Notre Dame has lost 12 players to the transfer portal, 4 of which were wide receivers; Senior - Chris Tyree Sophomore - Tobias Merriweather Freshman - Braylon James Freshman - Rico Flores Jr. For what it's worth, the biggest hit the existing wide receivers core took was the loss of the freshman claass leading Rico Flores Jr. Despite this loss, the Irish retain a solid core of young talent, along with some returning experience and incoming potential. Experience Jayden Thomas - Junior - 4 Star Deion Colzie - Junior - 4 Star 2023 Freshman Class Jaden Greathouse - 4 Star Jordan Faison - Walk-On KK Smith- 3 Star 2024 Incoming Class Cam Williams - 5 Star Micah Gilbert - 4 Star Logan Saldate - 4 Star Despite not yet being confirmed, incoming Freshman talents Cam Williams and Logan Saldate have both reiterated their intent to join the Irish next season in the face of Mike Brown's rumored arrival, providing a level of encouragement all Notre Dame fans could appreciate. In addition to the primary 5 existing receivers and the 3 incoming freshmen, the Irish will need to make some serious waves in the transfer pool to make up for their departing receivers. Realistically, Notre Dame will look to bring in 2-4 more receivers with as much experience as possible to give Brown something to work with early on in 2024. Thankfully, the Irish have already had 3 wide receivers visit campus, one of which has already committed. Kris Mitchell - FIU - 6'1 - Committed 2023 Stats 64 Receptions 1,118 Yards 7 TD's Josh Kelly - WSU - 6'1 - Visited 2023 Stats 61 Receptions 923 Yards 8 TDs Beaux Collins - Clemson - 6'3 - Visited 2023 Stats 38 Receptions 510 Yards 3 TDs The Potential Downsides There are 4 main concerns about Mike Brown potentially becoming the new wide receiver coach: What some see as the biggest downside of bringing in Brown, others see as a plus: the Cincinnati pedigree. It's well known that the Brian Kelly and Luke Fickell Cincinnati coaching trees are, without a doubt, two of the most prolific in the last decade and a half, and Notre Dame is filled to the brim with products of this system. Some critics see hiring another "friend" of Marcus Freeman as a potential issue due to the struggles of the underwhelming 2023 offense led by former Cincinnati staff Gered Parker and quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli. Wisconsin's rough offensive performance in 2023 and Brown's substantial role in that system pose a concern and calls into question his ability to thrive in a passing coordinator role in addition to a wide receiver coach position at a major program. One of Marcus Freeman's hallmark attributes is his excellent recruiting, and this commitment to recruiting extends to his staff, mainly his position coaches. With this in mind, many have pointed out that Brown isn't necessarily considered a recruiting wizard like Freeman, and in his 3 complete recruiting cycles with Cincinnati, Brown only managed to help bring in one 4-star receiver and five 3-star receivers. Additionally, while at Wisconsin, the Badgers only had one 4-star receiver commit in its 2024 class, Kyan Berry-Johnson. In a situation where receivers are leaving, there's currently no coach, and several transfers are needed, bringing in a big-name candidate would be the best move to prevent any further bleeding in the wide receiver room, to attract some big names or even steal a key receiver or two from another school should their coach leave. Some believe Brown doesn't have a big enough name at the moment to accomplish this. The Potential Upsides There are many reasons to see this potential hire as a positive thing. Brown stands to inherit a solid remaining core of receivers who want to be at Notre Dame and have made a conscious decision not to transfer. The incoming freshman receivers class of Cam Williams, Micah Gilbert, and Logan Saldate are excited and committed to the team and playing for Brown if he is indeed picked to succeed Stuckey. If the Irish continue at their current pace, they'll bring in several experienced transfer receivers who can partner with rising seniors Deion Colzie and Jayden Thomas to lead the young Irish receiving core. Brown would already be quite familiar with the 8 members of Notre Dame's staff who have roots in the Cincinnati coaching tree (Freeman, Parker, Guidugli, McCullough, Mickens, Washington, Bowen, & Bullough). Brown has helped to put 3 receivers into the NFL in his 5 years as a wide receiver coach, all three coming from Cincinnati, proving his ability to take talent from a smaller caliber school to both the heights of college football and ultimately, the highest level. Imagine what he can do at a place like Notre Dame with blue-chip talent at his fingertips from day one. Marcus Freeman had already looked to bring Brown onto his Notre Dame staff before ultimately hiring Chansi Stuckey for the 2022 season. Having seen him perform in Cincinnati as both a position coach and a recruiter, Freeman trusts Brown and seems to want to work with him again. Brown has displayed his ability to easily incorporate transfers into the pass game and rotation while at Wisconsin, using 4 in his first season with the Badgers. Transfer Will Pauling led the team in catches with 66 for 694 yards and 4 touchdowns. Brown should have no issues fully utilizing the likes of Kris Mitchell and whoever else rounds out Notre Dame's receiver transfer class. Brown's successful wide receivers have primarily been speedsters, including Pauling at the slot, and this could bode particularly well for the Irish, who may have a glut of speedy talent at the slot in 2024. Judging Brown on his single season with Wisconsin would be a mistake. He inherited a particularly tough situation, and the Badgers struggled with injury, two quarterbacks, and a transition to a new air raid offense. Notre Dame is currently an objectively better situation than Wisconsin, and Brown would undoubtedly perform better with the Irish's comparatively stacked wide receiver room. Moving Forward If Mike Brown is added to Marcus Freeman's coaching staff for the 2024 season, it could signal a sizable change for both the wide receiver room's culture and the offense as a whole. Brown's current role at Wisconsin as a "pass game coordinator" and "assistant head coach" shows he's one of the most respected young coaching talents in college football today at only 34 years old, and the possibility that Notre Dame may be bringing him on as more than just a wide receiver coach. The move from a prominent program like Wisconsin to Notre Dame would be somewhat lateral, unless he was promised a significant role in the passing game or assistant head coach responsibilities. Due to the criticism levied at Gered Parker's offense and its underwhelming performance this year, Freeman may likely have Parker share some play-calling responsibilities with Brown to prevent another disappointing year. Despite the specifics, the most important thing now is making sure the Irish choose the right candidate, and if that ends up being Mike Brown, making that decision formal and announcing it as soon as possible is of the utmost importance. De Nolf's Barbershop in South Bend has arrived at Vested Interest, Notre Dame fans! If you live in the South Bend area, be sure to stop by one of the most unique and artistically inspired barbershop locations in all of America, which has recently moved to Vested Interest: a 139 year-old factory that is home to dozens of local artists and entrepreneurs. De Nolf's has provided top of the line service from expert barbers in South Bend for years, and will continue to do so at their newest location: 240 E. Tutt Street, South Bend. Be sure to stop by De Nolf's open house on December 9th to see all the hard work they've been doing to get their new location up and running. You can also check out their social media accounts linked below, as they have documented this incredible construction and move-in process for all to see! De Nolf's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@denolfsremedy/videos   De Nolf's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denolfs/

By Liam Farrell｜Senior Staff Writer｜Twitter/X: @LiamFarrell_IT Via The Irish Tribune Two weeks ago, the Notre Dame football team ended the season on a very high note with their regular season finale resulting in a beatdown of Stanford at the Farm. Less than a week later, the Irish had 4 wide receivers enter the transfer portal, along with a tight end and multiple pieces on the defensive side of the ball. The Irish fans were crushed to see young talent, especially through the likes of Rico Flores, Holden Staes, and Tobias Merriweather enter the transfer portal. However, the Irish have responded this week by hosting many notable players in the portal, along with grabbing two commitments already in Jordan Clark (ASU) and Kris Mitchell (FIU). This does not mark the conclusion of the Irish recruiting efforts in the portal, either. Currently on campus for Notre Dame is Clemson WR Beaux Collins, Washington State WR Joshua Kelly, and the biggest name linked to Notre Dame, Duke QB Riley Leonard. Duke EDGE rusher RJ Oben has also locked in a visit to South Bend, as well. Trust in Head Coach Marcus Freeman In year three of Marcus Freeman's tenure at Notre Dame, he knew he needed to be aggressive and show better results on the field. Brian Kelly left the Notre Dame football program in a championship or bust, mentality for deeming a season successful or not. With a couple hiccups in his first two seasons ever coaching, year three is the deciding year that determines the trajectory of Freeman's career in South Bend. Knowing this, Marcus Freeman continues to tap into his greatest asset: recruiting. The firing of Chansi Stuckey was needed for a position group that simply did not get it done in the 2023 season. Wide Receivers lacked any sort of separation and they faded away in big games. While losing four receivers to the transfer portal certainly stings, Freeman knew he had to be aggressive at the depleted position. That is why locking in the commitment of Kris Mitchell was so necessary through these troubling times. Mitchell is coming off a 1000 yard+ season at FIU, and got snubbed from a First Team All Conference bid. The 6'1" receiver out of Jacksonville, Florida, is a Will Fuller type deep threat with blazing 4.4 40 speed. The two other receivers on campus right now, Collins and Kelly, are surely being intrigued about potentially connecting up with Riley Leonard for the Fighting Irish in 2024. Leonard, who hasn't committed yet to the Fighting Irish, sure is helping Freeman in terms of recruiting. His recent Instagram activity shows him following many Notre Dame players, as well as targets in the transfer portal. He followed both Mitchell and Clark early last week, along with Collins and Kelly. Leonard also recently followed South Carolina Kicker Mitch Jeter, who is supposed to visit the Notre Dame campus, as well. Unprecedented Times Call for Unprecedented Measures The Wild Wild West nature of college football is truly extreme. NIL and the transfer portal have completely made college football a free agency playground where players can bail at any moment possible. This left Notre Dame, one of the top educational Universities in the world, in somewhat of a predicament. In the past, with such rigorous academic requirements, the thought of a transfer coming into Notre Dame was unheard of. Only special occasions such as Amir C arlisle or Alohi Gilman, who both transferred from high academic institutions (USC and Navy) were permissible. Nonetheless, as the rules behind college football have changed, so has Notre Dame. Welcoming multiple graduate transfers still bolsters this Fighting Irish roster that needs some significant firepower. The trend of targeting key transfers under Freeman has worked in the past. Javontae Jean-Baptiste was the best asset the Notre Dame defensive line had all year. Sam Hartman, while may not living up to all of the hype, was certainly a great answer, or a better answer than now Notre Dame lacrosse player, Tyler Buchner. Even players such as Brandon Joseph or Cain Madden have been suitable plug-and-place figures on the field. What to Expect Now? While Notre Dame has made a splash in the portal, Irish fans should not think it is close to being over yet. Expect the Irish to secure a Leonard commitment any time soon, along with one or two wide receiver commits as well. I'm not as confident as the wide receivers committing soon, as I am with Leonard, but Freeman will look to add at least two more key figures within the wide receiver room. On the defensive side of the ball, the addition of Jordan Clark was key in replacing Thomas Harper, who was excellent in his one year with the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame will also look to bolster the defensive line, as they did with JJB last season. Look for Duke EDGE rusher RJ Oben to follow his QB to South Bend or Jahfari Harvey from Miami. The Irish will also almost certainly look to add one more safety to the back end of the defense to potentially team up with Xavier Watts if he doesn't declare for the NFL draft. From a Special Teams point of view, I mentioned Mitch Jeter, who came from a version of Beamer ball down at South Carolina. The Irish have targeted a Kicker in the transfer portal the past three years in Grupe, Schrader, and now Jeter. ________________________________________________________________________ De Nolf's Barbershop in South Bend has arrived at Vested Interest, Notre Dame fans! If you live in the South Bend area, be sure to stop by one of the most unique and artistically inspired barbershop locations in all of America, which has recently moved to Vested Interest: a 139 year-old factory that is home to dozens of local artists and entrepreneurs. De Nolf's has provided top of the line service from expert barbers in South Bend for years, and will continue to do so at their newest location: 240 E. Tutt Street, South Bend. Be sure to stop by De Nolf's open house on December 9th to see all the hard work they've been doing to get their new location up and running. You can also check out their social media accounts linked below, as they have documented this incredible construction and move-in process for all to see! De Nolf's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@denolfsremedy/videos De Nolf's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denolfs/

Written by Connor D'Aquila ⏐ Writer ⏐ Twitter/X: @ConnorDaquilaIT Photo via Notre Dame Athletics On Monday afternoon, it was announced that former Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner would be entering the transfer portal… for lacrosse. While it was not a surprise to see him move on from Alabama, the switch in sports was shocking to many. It turns out, however, that Buchner was once one of the top players in his high school class for the sport. He was actually committed to Michigan in eighth grade before football became his primary focus and he eventually ended up at Notre Dame. As for where he will go now, the Irish were immediately a major team being talked about, and The Irish Tribune is confident that he will end up in South Bend as a lacrosse player. Below, we’ll break down what went wrong on the football field for Tyler and his potential on the lacrosse field. What Went Wrong? Buchner was a huge get for Notre Dame when he was coming out of high school, but only three years later he finds himself out of football altogether. A four-star recruit and number 71 player nationally via 247Sports Composite, he was pursued by all the elite programs, but a strong relationship with Tommy Rees won out. A 6-foot-1, 215-pound thrower with a reported 40-yard dash time in the 4.6s according to 247Sports, his athleticism was obvious, but his arm talent also stood out. In 13 starts in his junior year, he was able to throw for 4,474 yards and 53 touchdowns while adding 1,610 yards and 28 touchdowns on the ground. His freshman year at ND demonstrated all of the potential with productive running packages and some impressive throws. The struggles began in his sophomore year, when he was named starter entering the season, but was knocked out of a poor performance versus Marshall in week 2. He did play well in the bowl game, but further struggles in the 2023 spring game made it clear that transfer Sam Hartman would be the best quarterback for the team moving forward. After deciding to follow Coach Rees to Alabama, Buchner entered the season a backup. After struggles by Jalen Milroe, Tyler got the chance to start in a game against South Florida, but was benched once again after a 5-for-14 start. As for why he struggled, I will not get too into the weeds, but the passing was the most glaring issue. His athleticism never faded, and he showed substantial escapability and speed to break loose for some long runs. Some have pointed out an altered throwing motion from his high school days, but there also appeared to be a lack of confidence and some poor decision-making. No matter the exact reason, Tyler has decided to make the switch back to his initial sport. Buchner As a Notre Dame Lacrosse Player As I said in the previous section, Tyler’s athleticism is very much still there. He consistently flashes impressive speed and agility that goes along with great size. All of this should translate well onto the lacrosse field, especially if he has maintained some of the skill he once had. A midfielder in his younger days, he was active throughout the high school and club circuits. According to his father’s YouTube channel, he had a 100 mph shot in seventh grade, an unbelievable feat for someone of that age. Freshman year highlights also reveal a player with loads of talent. Against Torrey Pines, one of the best high school teams on the West Coast his freshman year, Buchner went for five goals and one assist while displaying that incredible shot and athleticism. It is undeniable that he was a star in younger days, but the bigger question lies in how his feel for the game and IQ will hold up after so much time away. How he will fit in on the Notre Dame squad is tough to say. The Irish are coming off a national championship and have some of the best recruits in the country, so it will be no easy task carving a role out on the team. We can only hope, however, that the staff has done their research and this is more than a publicity stunt. Luckily for Buchner, ND loses midfielders Jack Simmons, Quinn McMahon, and Brian Tevlin, all of whom were significant contributors to last year’s team. He could also slot into a more defensive position given the solid size. We should not expect much from Tyler immediately, but the potential for him to make an impact is there. Whether or not he takes another shot at football via the walk-on route is unclear at this point, but it would be hard to be mad about that. There would be a very real possibility he never sees the field, but adding more talent to the roster and to the practice field should always be welcomed. None of this is final yet, but we are confident at the Irish Tribune that it will happen. Tyler seems to have realized he belongs in South Bend, and this should be a very interesting story to watch play out. De Nolf's Barbershop in South Bend has arrived at Vested Interest, Notre Dame fans! If you live in the South Bend area, be sure to stop by one of the most unique and artistically inspired barbershop locations in all of America, which has recently moved to Vested Interest: a 139 year-old factory that is home to dozens of local artists and entrepreneurs. De Nolf's has provided top of the line service from expert barbers in South Bend for years, and will continue to do so at their newest location: 240 E. Tutt Street, South Bend. Be sure to stop by De Nolf's open house on December 9th to see all the hard work they've been doing to get their new location up and running. You can also check out their social media accounts linked below, as they have documented this incredible construction and move-in process for all to see! De Nolf's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@denolfsremedy/videos De Nolf's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denolfs/

Written by Connor D'Aquila ⏐ Writer ⏐ Twitter/X: @ConnorDaquilaIT Photo by The Irish Tribune This Tuesday, it was announced that wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey and Notre Dame would be parting ways. In just his second year with the program, it was yet another disappointing season for the Irish receiving corps. While Stuckey has shown a strong ability to recruit, the development of these players has not been up to par. Perhaps most disappointing was the lack of production from returning players like Tobias Merriweather and Jayden Thomas, who are both impressive athletes and talented football players. We saw strong seasons from freshmen Jaden Greathouse, Rico Flores, and Jordan Faison, but they were not enough to have an elite group that could make Sam Hartman’s job easy. No matter the reason, we will have someone new in the role next year, and below we dive into some of the options. There is the possibility that we see Gerad Parker, who is taking over in the interim, assume the role given his past experience, but this article will focus on outside candidates. Jamarcus Shephard This one would admittedly be difficult, but Shephard is a guy who is hard not to include. Currently the associate head coach, pass game coordinator, and wide receivers coach at Washington, he has had massive success with their two-headed monster of Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan. The offense as a whole has been dominant en route to a 12-0 record, and Shephard’s role in that cannot be overlooked. Many hoped he would be the hire when Stuckey first came to South Bend, as he has long been a hot name in the CFB world. Since starting his collegiate career at Western Kentucky, he has quickly climbed the ranks, eventually finding major success at Purdue. Major names he developed with the Boilermakers include David Bell and Rondale Moore, who went back to back as Big Ten Freshman of the Year. The Purdue passing offense became one of the best in the country under Shephard, and he would be a huge addition to the Irish staff. The biggest concerns are his high-level position at Washington and his $800,000 salary. Notre Dame would have to shell out a substantial amount of money to get him, but we can only hope the administration would be willing. There is also the fact that Shephard is from Fort Wayne, went to DePauw University, and has connections around Indiana, which could make the job more appealing. Malcolm Kelly Coach Kelly is another hot name in college coaching due to TCU’s 2022 success. As the assistant head coach and outside wide receivers coach, the Horned Frogs had an elite passing attack on their way to a national championship game appearance. His development was a major factor in the rise of Quentin Johnson and Derius Davis, both of whom were drafted and now play for the Chargers. He also made Jalen Reagor into the first round pick that he became. This year has been a bit rough for the TCU passing game, but the team did lose their top three receivers from last year and still have two receivers and a tight end with over 500 yards thus far. This could be another difficult pull given the assistant head coach title, but the ND job should have some added allure. This wouldn’t be the sure-thing hire that Shephard is, but it would still be a major move. The last thing to consider with Kelly is his elite recruiting that has consistently brought in the top players in TCU’s classes. Joe Price Price is a riskier pick than the previous two, but would bring a lot of upside to the role at Notre Dame. Currently associate head coach, pass game coordinator, and wide receivers coach at UTSA, he has built a passing attack good enough to compete with anyone in the country. In 2022, the Roadrunners had an elite trio at receiver, all of whom got all-conference recognition and combined for 2,862 yards. This year has been a bit of a step back, but only one of those three players came back, and he has gone for over 1,000 yards again. Price also has a recruiting background as the former director of player personnel, but it is hard to know whether he can attract the top players given UTSA’s weaker program history. Nonetheless, it would be another young addition to the staff and a guy who could turn out to be elite. Mike Brown This is another Cincinnati connection to Coach Freeman, something he has taken advantage of frequently in his first two years at Notre Dame. Currently at Wisconsin after making the move with Fickell, he serves as associate head coach and wide receivers coach. Fickell clearly thinks highly of him, and he has been a major young name in college football. The biggest concern here is the lack of elite names or performers being developed under him. Granted Wisconsin has never been known for a great passing attack, but his first season there has not been great. With almost no improvement over last year and their leading receiver accounting for 694 yards, we have not seen the production that some of these other coaches have. On the other hand, Cincinnati did have some elite offenses in his time there, and we cannot overlook how good some of those teams were overall. His receivers also broke multiple school records in 2021. This is definitely one of the more realistic names on the list, and although it would not bring the excitement that some others would, Brown is not a bad coach by any standards. Kevin Cummings Cummings is another young name in CFB that I would love to see Freeman take a chance on. Currently the wide receivers coach at Arizona, he has gotten substantial production out of those pass catchers in their last two seasons. In 2022, they had two 1,000-yard receivers, and this year, sophomore Tetairoa McMillan has gone for over 1,200 yards after a 700-yard freshman season. He has also shown a fair amount of recruiting ability with the Wildcats, which is just another plus. Overall, Arizona has had some good teams and particularly strong offenses over the past few years, and bringing in a coach who has contributed to that would be great for the Irish. His name might fly a bit more under the radar, but I think this could be a great hire. The options are certainly out there, but it will be interesting to see how Freeman and the administration go about this process. Will they be willing to shell out the money needed for a big name? That has been a major concern in recent years, but we can only hope that they understand the significance of this position and the need for development. It is also important to note that none of these names come from inside information and are just about who could be a good fit. Shepherd would clearly be the top coach to bring in, but we could see them go for a younger guy as well. Lonnie Gollaway at UNC is another name to watch, but I chose to leave him off the list given his older age and close relationship with Mack Brown. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by Connor Regan｜Writer｜ Photo by The Irish Tribune To be completely honest, this article has been edited and amended three times now because of all the breaking news from the wide receiver room, and I truly hope this is the last draft. The great game of off-season musical chairs has begun with a bang, complete with all the coaching changes, transfer portal announcements, commitments, and de-commitments one could ask for. Not to be spared, Notre Dame's off-season chronicle has come early this year before a bowl game selection has even been announced. Arguably the most criticized position group of the season, the wide receivers, have already seen quite the shakeup. It's been a constantly evolving whirlwind, but this is the new reality. Let's take a look at what's happened so far. 11/28 - Senior wide receiver and position leader Chris Tyree announced he will be entering the transfer portal. 11/28 - Shortly after Tyree's announcement, Coach Marcus Freeman parted ways with second-year wide receiver coach Chansi Stuckey. 11/29 - The following day, sophomore wide receiver Tobias Merriweather announced his entrance into the transfer portal. 11/30 - 4-star freshman Braylon James announced he would be leaving the Irish and submitting his name to the transfer portal. 12/01 - Leading Freshman wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. announces his intention to enter the transfer portal. There's a lot that can be said about each of these decisions; inarguably, the departure of standout freshman Rico Flores Jr. is the worst blow of the bunch. The Tyree situation is understandable, as he would be splitting time between the emerging freshmen Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison. Merriweather's announcement is disappointing, but his time at Notre Dame was underwhelming, and his contribution shouldn't be too difficult for the team to replace. It's been the worst-kept secret in South Bend that Braylon James was looking to leave the team via the portal, and as disappointing as that is, he was the only healthy player among the stacked freshman wide receiver class who didn't seem much playing time this year, as he concluded the season with 1 reception for 12 yards. At a time where there are still many unknowns, let's take a look at what Notre Dame should be bringing back to the table at the start of next season (barring any wild curveballs I'm praying don't happen). What Remains Notre Dame is essentially split into three groups concerning its wide receivers: Experience Jayden Thomas - Junior - 4 Star Deion Colzie - Junior - 4 Star 2023 Freshman Class Jaden Greathouse - 4 Star Jordan Faison - Walk-On KK Smith- 3 Star Stacked Incoming 2024 Class Cam Williams - 5 Star Micah Gilbert - 4 Star Logan Saldate - 4 Star The Slot While Tyree had a solid showing this year, his numbers were comparable to both Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison, making the pain of his absence sting less. With Tyree gone, the slot position is now wide open, and time could easily be split between Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison. But due to the exodus from the wide receiver core, Jaden Greathouse will more than likely be fighting for the X/Y receiver position. For the sake of comparison, Greathouse will be left at the slot position for now.in This season was truly a tale of two halves for Greathouse and Faison. Jaden Greathouse started the season as Tyree's backup at the slot and had a strong showing through the first 5 games, picking up 12 receptions for 166 yards and 3 TDs, all while playing more snaps than Tyree in 3 of those 5 games. Greathouse became one of Sam Hartman's favorite targets early on, but he would unfortunately suffer a hamstring injury that kept him out of the Duke game and nagged him for several weeks after. Partly due to the hamstring injury and partly due to Mitchell Evans showing out and Jordan Faison getting activated, Greathouse saw a 5-game slide where he didn't catch a ball but put on a stellar performance in the final two games of the season, where he notched 4 catches for 86 yards and 2 TD's. While Greathouse is not quite the speedster Tyree was, the coaching staff was impressed by his elusiveness and propensity for yards after the catch, making him an ideal slot candidate. Despite these slot skills, Greathouse is 3 inches taller than Tyree at 6' 1, which makes him versatile enough to play outside and send deep when needed. Greathouse ended the season with an encouraging 16 receptions for 252 yards and a team-leading 5 TD grabs, showing encouraging signs for his next step in 2024. Greathouse looks to be in the lead spot for the slot, although, depending on team needs, he may see time on the outside at the X or Y position. Jordan Faison was a walk-on lacrosse player who was activated against Louisville and quickly earned a scholarship. In the 6 games he played, Faison was able to post 14 catches for 207 yards and 3 TDs. Much like Tyree, Faison is on the smaller end at 5 '10 and nearly as fast, but with an even twitchier elusiveness, especially with the ball in his hands. During his 6-game stretch, Faison mostly played out of the slot, with lots of action over the middle of the field and even some deep threat capacity due to his ability to create separation downfield. By the end of the 2023 season, Faison grabbed 14 passes for 207 yards and tied for 3rd in TD receptions with 3. It was a solid season, but even more impressive considering he managed these numbers while only playing half the season. Rounding out the current slot options is KK Smith, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury his whole first season. Smith should be coming into the 2024-2025 season healthy and looking to compete for playing time at the slot with his striking speed and yards-after-catch potential. The X/Y With Rico Flores Jr. and Tobias Merriweather gone, the fight for lead receiver will be wide-open. Assuming Greathouse continues to primarily play at slot and split time with Faison, coach Freeman and coach Parker will have to turn to the experience they have. This year's wide receiver group struggled with numerous injuries that held back two of the more experienced wideouts on the roster, Jayden Thomas and Deion Colzie. Thomas had a big start to the season, with 4 catches, 60 yards, and a touchdown in the season opener, and ultimately led the Irish in receiving with 13 catches for 195 yards, but went down in the 3rd quarter of the Ohio State game, forcing him to miss the next matchup against Duke. Unfortunately, Thomas battled the hamstring issue for the remainder of the season and has seemingly not been the same since. Colzie also had a big season opener with 3 catches for 45 yards and a touchdown, playing in the first 4 games before a knee injury shut him down and surgery ended his season. With enough time to heal before the start of next season, both Thomas and Colzie should stand to compete on the outside for playing time, as their size gives them the advantage on down-the-field positioning. There are unknowns at the lead downfield receiver, mostly due to injury, but if Thomas and Colzie can stay healthy, the Irish are going to need to lean heavily on their experience if the wide receiver core will stay competitive. What is to Come The future of Notre Dame's wide receiver room looks bright as the Irish bring in 3 top-50 wide receivers next season. The shining star of the group is 6'2 10th ranked phenom Cam Williams. With college-ready size and strength, the 5-star prospect is a ready competitor for playing time this coming season, with or without team injuries. Williams will add to his preparedness by graduating and enrolling early at Notre Dame, arriving on campus to begin his transition this coming January. Alongside Williams is the similarly large framed 6'3 4-star commit Micah Gilbert out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Gilbert follows a similar mold as Williams but possesses even more size and strength. Both incoming freshmen look to compete for playing time on the outside among the larger receivers like Thomas, Colzie, James, and Flores. Last but not least, 4-star talent Logan Saldate looks to replace some of the lost athleticism at the slot position. Having been recruited specifically for the slot, Saldate dominated his senior year of high school and displayed his skill for running with the ball and stretching defenses. With a similar playstyle to Faison and more size, Saldate could have a relatively seamless transition to the collegiate level. Regardless, the value of having such a young talent surrounded by the likes of Greathouse and Faison will be incredibly valuable to his development. In the wake of Chansi Stuckey leaving the program, Logan Saldate quickly stated, "I love coach Stuckey! He's a great coach! But I have faith in coach Freeman's decision and who he wants to bring in. I'm locked in! Forever Irish!" Williams also responded to the news of Stuckey's departure: "It's a hard pill to swallow for sure, but I know what my envisions are at the University of Notre Dame, and I'm excited to live them out." As for Micah Gilbert, at the moment, there has been no reported comment from the 4-star recruit out of North Carolina. Despite the coaching shakeup, it seems Freeman and his staff have quickly calmed the waters on the recruitment front. What To Expect Next Year Well, if I could tell you exactly how things will shake out for the Irish wide receivers next year, I would be on a yacht somewhere by now, but we can speculate if we consider all the current unknowns. Transfers As we have already seen, the transfer portal is hopping, even before its formal opening, yet despite the transfers out of Notre Dame, there is always potential to use the portal to bring talent in. After losing 4 receivers, including 2 starters, the Irish are absolutely going to need to bring in 2-3 transfer receivers. The top target for the offense this offseason will, without a doubt, be a quarterback. Yet, numerous talented and experienced wide receivers are already available, with more on the way as the postseason begins to take shape and the portal officially opens. There have already been reports surrounding the Irish potentially pursuing 6'3 Clemson junior Beaux Collins and 6'1 FIU receiver Kris Mitchell. This past year, Mitchell caught 64 passes for 1,118 yards and 6 TDs in 12 games, and Collins grabbed 38 balls for 510 yards and 3 TDs in just 10 games. If they make the right moves, Notre Dame may put itself in a position to attract a talented transfer wide receiver. Riley Leonard Thankfully, Notre Dame seems to have solved the quarterback issue faster than expected. It's projected that Duke's junior quarterback Riley Leonard will commit to the Irish, helping to give the fledgling Irish offense an identity for next year in the wake of Sam Hartman's exit. If Riley decides on South Bend, this could quickly help to attract more big-name transfers across offense and defense as the Irish bolster their chances to compete next year, especially in the face of the first 12-team College Football Playoff. We stand at the start of a hectic and long off-season as Notre Dame looks to flesh out its roster and open coaching staff positions in the face of what amounts to an exodus. The biggest new challenge will be making sure to keep the top talent we already have and have coming in as the hectic portal window opens and bowl games are announced. With time and a little luck of the Irish, Notre Dame can salvage its rough start to the off-season and put themselves in a better position for 2024. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by Phil Kowalis｜Writer｜Twitter/X: @PhilKowalisIT Photo by The Irish Tribune Less than 48 hours after their regular season ending 56-23 victory over the Stanford Cardinal that improved Notre Dame's record to 9-3, the Irish saw three members of the roster announce their intention to enter the transfer portal. Wide Receiver Chris Tyree, Center Zeke Correll and Defensive Lineman Nana Osafo-Mensah all announced their intention to enter the transfer portal and seek new opportunities for their final season of eligibility on Monday. The Trio was joined by Defensive Lineman Aidan Keanaaina who entered the portal on Tuesday. Reaction to the news of the players entry into the portal has brought mixed reaction from fans on Notre Dame social media, ranging from those who think that Marcus Freeman has lost the locker room and that the players are abandoning a sinking ship, to those that think the four are leaving because they see their playing time being reduced due to the rising talent of Notre Dame's underclassmen. Let's take a closer look at the four players that have entered the transfer portal, their contributions to the Irish this season, and what impact their departure may have on the Irish as they prepare for the upcoming bowl game as well as next season. Zeke Correll, Center Correll had started 23 straight games beginning with the season opener of the 2022 season until he was sidelined with a concussion during the first half of the contest against Clemson. Correll's concussion symptoms forced him to miss the final two games of the regular season against Wake Forest and Stanford.. In Correll's absence, sophomore Ashton Craig has stepped into the lineup and has been impressive in his two starts against the Demon Deacons and the Cardinal. Craig's impressive play will help ease the transition to a new center heading into the bowl season and into the 2024 campaign. In all likelihood, the writing was likely on the wall for Correll. Nana Osafo-Mensah, Defensive Line Osafo-Mensah saw action at defensive end, backing up Ohio State transfer Javontae Jean-Baptiste for the Irish in the 2023 campaign. The Senior from Fort Worth, Texas recorded his most impressive season of his career totaling 20 tackles 12 of the solo variety and was also credited with three sacks. Osafo-Mensah would have been a candidate for the starting defensive end position in 2024, but the impressive play of sophomore Joshua Burnham and the prospect of sophomore Tyson Ford and freshman Brenan Vernon pushing for more playing time make the future playing time of Osafo-Mensah far from certain. Aidan Keanaaina, Defensive Line Keanaaina saw limited action for the Irish in 2023, totaling seven tackles and recording a half sack in mop up duty for the Irish. Keanaaina's prospect for playing time in the 2024 season looked to be slim, as the Irish could possibly return both starters at defensive tackle from the 2023 season as Rylie Mills and Howard Cross both have eligibility remaining - although Cross and Mills could (and likely will) declare for the upcoming NFL Draft. In addition, the Irish also anticipate the return of Donovan Hinish and Gabe Rubio to the mix at a talented defensive tackle position. Chris Tyree, Wide Receiver Tyree is undoubtedly the biggest loss of the four players to enter their names into the transfer portal thus far. Tyree made the successful transition from running back to wide receiver this season and led the Irish in receiving yards with 484 yards and finished third on the team with 26 catches, trailing only freshman wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. and tight end Mitchell Evans who finished the regular season with 27 and 29 catches respectfully. Tyree also finished the regular season tied for third in touchdowns with three. Tyree's departure leaves not only a void in production to fill going forward, but more importantly will be the loss of leadership and experience in what is and will continue to be a young wide receiver room that is inexperienced but loaded with potential. The emergence of freshman Jordan Faison who was quite possibly Notre Dame's best wide receiver over the last half of the season undoubtedly played a role in Tyree's decision to enter the transfer portal. Summary In my opinion the departure of the four players to the transfer portal is nothing more than an example of the current state that exists in college football, and not as some suggest a sign of impending doom for the Notre Dame football program under Marcus Freeman. The transfer portal has provided a convenient escape hatch for players seeking what they see as greener pastures elsewhere, where they can find playing time in what is in most cases the players final year of eligibility. That is the case for the four now former members of the Notre Dame football team that have entered the transfer portal this week. Of these four, only Tyree had a starting position locked down entering the 2024 season. Both Osafo-Mensah and Correll would be locked in heated position battles next season, and even Tyree faced the possibility of being passed up on the depth chart by the conclusion of the 2024 season by a talented group of young receivers. The departures this week mark the beginning of what will be a turbulent period of roster upheaval as more players can be expected to both depart and arrive through the portal before the beginning of the 2024 season. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by Liam Gaudet｜Senior Editor｜Twitter/X: @LiamGaudetIT Photo by Duke Athletics We have some breaking news this evening, as Duke starting quarterback Riley Leonard has announced that he has entered his name into the transfer portal. There were rumblings of Notre Dame possibly pursuing Leonard earlier this week, and there now appears to be some fuel to the fire. After Duke Head Coach Mike Elko announced that he would be leaving for the same position at Texas A&M, the writing was probably on the wall for the Blue Devil signal caller, and he will be providing his services for another University during the 2024 campaign. We know at this point that Leonard has initiated a "do not contact" order (via Matt Freeman, ISD) which likely means that he has some ideas on where he wants to land. Marcus Freeman has already expressed his wish to evaluate the transfer portal as a viable option for a quarterback next season. It also seems that Riley Leonard has followed a decent amount of current Irish players on social media - take that for what you will. There seems to be a lot of journalists in the ND media space, including Tom Loy of 247, who are predicting that Leonard will end up at Notre Dame. For now, the two schools to pay attention to are Notre Dame and Auburn. Let's take a look at what Riley Leonard has to offer as a signal caller. Coming in at 6'4, 212 pounds, Riley Leonard has the ideal frame to play the quarterback position. He has an absolute cannon of an arm, but at times can struggle with his accuracy which is a bit of a concern. One of Leonard's biggest assets is his surprising speed given his size. Leonard has been known to take off and turn broken plays into long runs, and does so on a regular basis. In his career at Duke, Leonard amassed 1,224 rushing yards, with an average of 5.3 yards per carry. Against the Irish this season, Leonard carried the ball 18 times for 88 yards, and was the main reason the Irish had to fight so hard to come away with a victory. As far as his passing statistics are concerned, Leonard has passed for 4,450 career yards with 24 touchdowns to 10 interceptions at Duke. His completion percentage sits at 61.8% for his career. If Leonard does end up in an Irish uniform, he would likely benefit from having a much more talented offensive line with more time to make reads and take off if needed. Leonard did get injured this season against Notre Dame, which kept him off the field for nearly half of the season. He lead the Blue Devils to a 4-0 start before being injured, and proceeded to lose back to back games to Florida State and Louisville when he returned. It will be very interesting to see how the quarterback room shapes out if Leonard does decide to transfer to Notre Dame. Sitting in the room will be Steve Angeli, Kenny Minchey, and incoming freshman C.J. Carr. There's no telling if one of these quarterbacks decides to transfer or stick it out and fight for their spot. In all likelihood, it will probably be a three man race between Leonard, Angeli and Minchey heading into the spring if nobody transfers. Follow @TheIrishTribune on all social medias to stay updated as more information is released! Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun

Written by Liam Gaudet｜Senior Editor｜Twitter/X: @LiamGaudetIT Photo by Notre Dame Athletics In what appears to be extremely comedic timing, it was reported today by John Brice that Notre Dame would be moving on from Chansi Stuckey, who served as the wide receivers coach for the Irish over the past two seasons. Stuckey, who came by way of the Baylor Bears after the departure of Del Alexander, had produced some promising dividends on the recruiting trail. As far as on-field performance goes, however, the results were mediocre to say the least. This move comes at a very peculiar time, as just yesterday, Head Coach Marcus Freeman had this to say: "If it's up to me, as I just told the coaching staff and our staff, I have a strong belief in the coaches that we have in this football program and would love all of them to be back." - Freeman, via Tyler Horka Now for obvious reasons, there is a lot of room to speculate with a quote like this, but I think it would be wise to sit and wait until more information is available. For now, I'd like to focus on Stuckey's tenure at Notre Dame and try to make sense of this move. So without further delay, let's dig in. It's no secret that Chansi Stuckey was handed the keys to a wide receiver room that was on life support when he arrived at Notre Dame in 2022. Although he had inherited a lot of raw talent in names like Lorenzo Styles, Deion Colzie, Braden Lenzy etc., it was apparent that much had been lacking in the way of player development from his predecessor. In his first offseason at Notre Dame, Stuckey hit the ground running on the recruiting trail and secured multiple high level commitments from top-end talent in the class of 2023. Names like Jaden Greathouse, Rico Flores Jr, and Braylon James were instrumental pickups for Stuckey, who seemed to be proving his worth early. Braylon James went as far as to say that he likely would not have chosen Notre Dame if it weren't for the efforts and relationship that Stuckey worked to curate with him over the process of his recruitment. Things were looking good early for coach "Stuck", and as important as recruiting is for Coach Freeman, it was safe to say the move was panning out off the field. In his first full season with the Irish, it was somewhat understandable that the receiving core underperformed. Much of the talent that Stuckey had gathered hadn't arrived on campus yet, so Stuckey had to play catch up in the development of the talent that was already on campus. Lorenzo Styles, Jayden Thomas and Braden Lenzy were to carry the bulk of the load for the Irish receivers, and that became a glaring issue. Granted, the dominance of Michael Mayer often made the Irish pass catchers a bit of an afterthought, but at times it seemed that if Mayer wasn't open, nobody was. Could this have been blamed on Offensive Coordinator Tommy Rees? A lot of fans thought so. But the brunt of the weight for the receivers lack of explosiveness and separation should lie solely on the shoulders of Chansi Stuckey. This daunting trend would continue through the majority of the season, even against well inferior opponents, compounded by the fact that Drew Pyne nor Tyler Buchner were able to play high level college football last season. Still, the receivers just couldn't seem to get open. Whatever was being done on Stuckey's end wasn't working, as Notre Dame's leading receiver Jayden Thomas amassed just 361 yards and three scores over the course of the season. After building another solid foundation in recruiting which features Cam Williams, a five star talent at the position, Stuckey finally had some of his own players in the mix. Lorenzo Styles transferred out of the program, and Braden Lenzy would go on to retire from football as a whole. But even with these new faces, and even Jayden Thomas, who had been under Stuckey for a full season, the results were the same. All the talent in the world, and not much in the way of results. Many will point to Gerad Parker as the scapegoat for how abysmal the Irish passing game has been this season, but I believe there is a lot more at play. It's always nice to have a genuinely great recruiter, but when the chips are down, these kids need to be developed. Notre Dame's best performing receiver this season, Chris Tyree, has just entered his name in the transfer portal (and I wouldn't be surprised if more followed). It's unknown if there was any sort of internal conflict that took place between either Stuckey and Freeman, or Stuckey and his players, but that's also not entirely out of the question either. Coach Freeman made the executive decision to move on from Stuckey after two seasons of egregious output from a very talented room. The fact of the matter still stands - Notre Dame hasn't had elite wide receiver output in over half a decade. In closing, I believe Marcus Freeman opted too heavily for the talent accumulation route as opposed to the developmental route when he hired Chansi Stuckey. Although Stuckey could get the athletes onto campus, his inexperience in their development was drastically overlooked. Other candidates at the time, such as Alabama's Holmon Wiggins, had proved they had what it took to get the best out of the talent in the room. Perhaps Coach Freeman will opt for a more proven candidate this time around, but time will tell. I wish Chansi Stuckey the very best of luck in his future endeavors, and thank him for his time at Notre Dame. Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun